kids Archives - LeeAnn G Taylor - Embracing the Mosaic Life

The Legend of the Sand Dollar – An Easter Object Lesson

March 6, 2021 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Type of Activity: Hands-On Activity

Supplies Needed: Sand Dollar

Don’t live near the beach? You can purchase sand dollars here.

Biblical Truth Shared: God’s creation reminds us of the truths of the Easter story (Romans 1:20)

Have your child look at the sand dollar and all its unique properties. Ask him or her to describe what they see then read the Legend of the Sand Dollar poem.

Have your child break open the sand dollar to find the beautiful doves inside. My mother did this activity with my kiddos and we both were fascinated and have a new appreciation for the reminder in Romans that God’s creation speaks clearly about his power!

legend of the sand dollar — There’s a lovely little legend
That I would like to tell,
Of the birth and death of Jesus
Found in this lowly shell.
If you examine closely
You’ll see that you find here,
Four nail holes and a fifth one
Made by a Roman’s spear.
On one side the Easter Lily,
Its center is the star,
That appeared unto the shepherds
And led them from afar.
The Christmas Poinsettia
Etched on the other side,
Reminds us of His birthday
Our happy Christmastide.
Now break the center open
And here you will release,
The five white doves awaiting
To spread Good Will and Peace.
This simple little symbol Christ left for you and me,
To help us spread His Gospel Through all Eternity

Scriptures:

John 19:34: “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.”

Matthew 2:2: and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:10: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

Matthew 1:23: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”

Matthew 3:16: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.”

Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Looking for more Easter activities?

10 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Easter (at Home — COVID-19 Edition)

Parenting With Purpose at Easter

Praising God in the Storm :: Our Miscarriage Story

August 27, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Lately a friend reminded me of the power of telling our stories. Stories are the essential connection between people. Shared experiences remind us we’re not alone in this sometimes scary world.

Today I’m sharing one of my stories, one of pain in the moment and how Chuck and I chose to praise God in the middle of our storm. Now, 7 years and 3 beautiful babies later, I realize it was the first of many experiences God used to grow our faith and highlight His faithfulness in our lives.

July 2, 2008

It has been a long few weeks filled with every emotion imaginable. On May 15th, Chuck and I found out we were expecting our first child, due Jan 10th. We were so excited…our “five year plan” of starting a family after five years of marriage was falling right into place.

We kept the news pretty quiet, only telling our parents, our sisters, and a few close friends, until we had our first doctor’s appointment. I think that I thought the news that we were going to have a baby was going to really sink in once we had that first appointment.

What started as excited anticipation during that first visit quickly became nervous anticipation as our doctor became concerned that I was having some early complications. An ultrasound was scheduled for later that same afternoon.

I know it was the “peace that passes understanding” because I went back to work and was calm while waiting for the ultrasound appointment. Chuck, on the other hand, would tell me later that he had a feeling that something was very wrong.

The ultrasound later confirmed this when a heartbeat could not be detected. I should have been 7-8 weeks along. After a devastating conversation with our doctor, I had some blood work done and we headed home to share the news.

The next few weeks proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions, with more blood work and two more ultrasounds. My pregnancy hormones kept rising, but the baby was not growing properly and we could still hear no heartbeat.

The hardest part was not knowing what or how to feel, since at each appointment we were given a small ray of hope that the baby might be okay…maybe we were not as far along as they thought…maybe this, maybe that. It was more proof that only God knows us intimately, and medical science, though helpful, cannot always give us the answers.

Eventually last week we were told that the baby was not growing and that we should expect a miscarriage. After a week of waiting, I began to miscarry.

Through this all we have had an amazing support network of family and friends. God has continually placed people in our path who have been through similar experiences or who knew just what we needed to be comforted at that moment.

Although we are sad at the loss of this little child, we know God has more plans for us and our family.

I have been and will continue to cling to this verse:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge HIM and he will make your paths straight.”

Although we may not always understand, we must trust God and acknowledge His sovereignty over all situations, even this one.

Friends, it’s time we share our stories. Let’s lift up God working in our lives and shine His grace and glory!

What can YOU praise him for today? Share in the comments and let’s encourage one another to view our lives through the lens of gratefulness, despite our difficult circumstances.

Encouraging Back to School Bible Verses {Free Printable}

August 22, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It’s back to school time!

We’ve managed to accomplish all the usual back-to-school activities:

✔ new tennis shoes (summer = worn out shoes!)
✔ new clothes (yep, kids grow in 3 months)
✔ school supplies
✔ Open House
✔ ice cream with the grandparents to mark the occasion

It’s back to school time! Time to spruce up our morning routines.

Now we’re working on our morning routine since in our family, mornings are our “around the table times”. Hubby works afternoons and evenings during the week as a pastoral life coach, so eating dinner around the table together usually only happens on the weekends when we aren’t out exploring or traveling.

Parenting With Purpose

Each year has seasons, and for us, the back-to-school season is a great time to refocus on intentional parenting with purpose.

Now that our “big kids” are a little older (6 and 3), this year’s morning routine after our kids wake up will include asking them to:

✔ get dressed independently
✔ put lunch in backpack & backpack by the door
✔ sit at the breakfast table with the family (sometimes sitting is the hardest part for them)
✔ write something you’re thankful for in our family gratitude journal
✔ work on scripture memory as a family

It’s simple on purpose since our kids are young.

Your Morning Routine

Your morning routine will look different in your home, but I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to think about what kind of morning would be your ideal morning. Then work backwards to put systems and routines in place to make that happen.

Let’s be real. If you have a beautifully planned schedule for your mornings and you have littles, middles, or even big big kids, your mornings probably won’t go 100% like you plan. But as the saying goes, failing to plan = planning to fail.

So this school year, let’s be intentional in determining the type of environment we’d like to create for our family and take some action to make it happen. Then remember to give yourself and your kiddos grace when it doesn’t work perfectly.

To help you get started, I’ve created two downloadable printables with encouraging back-to-school Bible verses. Please feel free to share with anyone you think would benefit from these as a jumpstart to intentional, God-centered mornings.

Blessings,

encouraging bible verses for back to school

Click the image to download a printable version.

Need a little help getting meals on the table now that school’s starting back up again? Try out my “secret weapon” — HomeChef!

They deliver pre-prepped ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards (with pictures…so helpful!) for meals I’ve picked from their weekly selection right to my door! Want to see if it is your “secret weapon” too? You can try it out with a free $30 credit!

Use the social share buttons below to share these free printable back to school Bible verses with your friends. Many blessings for another wonderful school year!

A Trick for Toddler Tantrums

February 25, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

I have to be honest.

Parenting is hard work and I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’m not winning the “Mother of the Year” award any time soon. Remember, I’m letting go of perfectionism, so pursuing an award for the best mother ever just isn’t on my bucket list.

Sometimes good enough is good enough.

And although most first time mothers wish they did, we all know hospitals don’t send you home with a user’s manual when they roll you out to your car in a wheelchair holding your new bundle of joy. Newborns, with their squishy little faces and darling coos, grow into willful toddlers and, at least for me, at times it feels like an alien has taken up residence in our home!

My sweet, sweet baby boy has turned into a little man with his own thoughts and opinions about almost everything. His current favorite phrase when he’s frustrated is “NO, I DON’T WANT TO, MOMMY!” and he says it complete with an angry face and a stomping foot.

It’s epic. And not in a good way.

At times I’m tempted to get frustrated right back at him but instead, I’ve found a solution that works every time. Or sometimes. Or once out of every three times I try. {Ahem.}

Reading a book!

Truly, grabbing my frustrated little man, taking him out of his currently frustrating environment, and plopping ourselves on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a good book is usually a great solution to the mayhem that occurs when his little toddler self is having trouble controlling his own emotions.

This week we received a new book in the mail, so of course this book made it to the calm-down-couch pile of books. {Part of the fun of blogging is receiving books to read and review and this was one of those times}.

The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book

I grew up with the Berenstain Bears teaching me all manner of socially appropriate behavior through great quality children’s books. Reading was and still is one of my favorite things to do any time I have a few extra minutes (or hours!).

I was excited to crack open this cute little board book and see what new adventures Mama Bear, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey had in store for me. Small in size, the thick-paged board book is perfect for little hands still learning to turn the pages.

And what better topic for me to read to my strong-willed toddler than a book about manners? In The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book Brother, Sister, and Honey yell “I want a cookie!” and Mama Bear is shocked at their poor manners!

In the span of 20 short pages, Mama Bear walks her cubs through a reminder of when to use the magic words – please, thank you, and you’re welcome – and rewards them for doing so with some of her scrumptious cookies and milk.

My “big” kids (ages 2 and 5) listened intently to the book and the littlest asked to read it over and over again, like little ones tend to do! It’s a great book for me to read during our “cool down” times after tantrums as a simple reminder of appropriate behavior and manners.

If you’d like your own copy to use during the inevitable toddler-tantrum moments, you’re in luck!

To win a copy of The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book, choose one (or several) of the entry methods below.

Ways to Enter this Giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post.
Visit The Mosaic Life Facebook page. And *like* it if you like it. 🙂
Sign up to receive blog posts by email.

I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday, March 3rd. This would be a great addition to a child’s Easter basket this year!

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. US and Canada readers/addresses only. Winner must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.”

This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. If you click through an affiliate link to make a purchase, we receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra charge to you. Proceeds help pay for this site and support our recently adopted Compassion International child, Eva, from Columbia.

Advent Ideas & Children’s Christmas Books – Sharing the Story of Jesus With Kids

November 14, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

On Sunday during our fellowship time at church, a friend, a busy working mom with three kids, asked if I was planning a Christmas post similar to my Easter one, 10 Ways to Teach Kids About Easter.

The Easter post shares ten different ways parents can share the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection with their children using hands-on activities and books and she had enjoyed using the ideas to make the story come more alive for her kids.

Today I’m sharing similar resources for the Advent season and Christmas.

Be sure to read all the way to the end for a giveaway of an awesome prize pack of children’s Christmas books!

Celebrating Advent With Your Children

If you’re not familiar with the concept of Advent, it is simply taking the time before Christmas to anticipate Christ and celebrate Christmas, His coming to the earth. Generally Advent celebrations begin on December 1st and continue through Christmas Day.

Here are a few ways to celebrate Advent, the anticipation of Christ’s coming, with your children:

1. Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by Amanda White

For preschool to elementary kids, this printable gives you 24 days of Scripture reading, ornament crafts, talking points and extension activities, plus fun printables and templates! If you’re not super crafty (like me), you can download the printable ornaments for your kids to color and hang instead and read the scripture reference each day.

Be sure to read to the end of this post to find out how to win your own copy of this great curriculum or click this link and use the code MOSAICLIFE to get 20% off.

2. Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

This absolutely gorgeous hardback book is designed to be read year after year for the Advent season. The quality of the book is such that I can imagine it becoming a book that is passed down to future generations.The illustrations remind me of The Jesus Storybook Bible illustrations and are just beautiful!

I received a copy from the publisher Tyndale for review and am absolutely thrilled to be using this book for Advent this year for our kids (ages 8, 5 and 2).

The book starts out where all books should start out, at the beginning! From creation to the flood to the story of Abraham, each day works through the Old Testament stories and progresses toward the ultimate revelation of Jesus as King.

Each day has a “Thoughts to Discuss” section and a “Family Activity” idea.

Neither of these sections are overwhelming and provide just enough “extra” to go deeper with older children. I also love the free printable ornaments you can download from Ann Voskamp’s site that go along with each day.

3. What God Wants for Christmas: An Interactive Nativity for Children by Barbara Rainey

I’ve admired Dennis and Barbara Rainey from Family Life Today ever since I found out I was pregnant and knew I’d need some help with raising a child. The parenting process hasn’t come naturally to me and their practical advice has helped me along the way.

While I haven’t used this resource myself, it comes highly recommended online by other moms who have used it with their children to create meaningful conversations about Christ’s coming during the Advent season. The set includes nativity characters, a pop-up nativity scene, written materials, and an audio book on CD.

For more detailed info, you can listen to a conversation with Barbara and one of her children talking about how they use this resource on the Family Life Today radio show.

4. Read a Different Children’s Christmas Book Each Day in December

This was my friend Kathy’s idea and I think it’s a great one. Most kids love to sit and listen to a story being read aloud, so doing so during the days leading up to Christmas creates great time and space for creating happy family memories. Add hot cocoa and popcorn to story time and you can get almost any kid to sit and listen for a few minutes!

I’d encourage you to look for Christmas books in your local used bookstore, ask friends for recommendations, or review the list below for some ideas. If you have a bit more time and want to create some mystery and excitement for your children, wrap each book ahead of time and allow your child to pick out the book and unwrap one each day to read.

You might not already have 25 Christmas books focusing on Jesus, but if you start now and add to your collection throughout the years, you’ll soon have plenty of books to choose from during the month of December.

A Review of Children’s Christmas Books

I’m excited to share these three books with you, as they’re some of the first in my own collection of children’s Christmas books that tell the story of Jesus.

Two of these are also included in the huge Children’s Christmas Book Prize Pack Giveaway at the end of this post, so you’ll have a chance to win your own copy too! Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and Ambassador International for providing review copies and giveaways for my readers.

The Christmas Promise by Alison Mitchell

This hardback book has absolutely beautiful illustrations and tells the story of Jesus’ birth by focusing on how God kept His promise to send His people a new King. Perfect for preschool and early school-aged children, it is short enough to keep their attention and focuses on one theme, that Jesus is “a new King; a rescuing King; a forever King!”

Both of my kids (5 and 2) listened intently, fascinated by the slightly different approach to the story of the birth of Jesus. I love books that connect the Old Testament promises to the New Testament fulfillment of those promises and this is a great introduction to that theme for young children.

A Donkey’s Little Tale by R. Mitchell Scott

Oh, I just love this sweet book! Written from the perspective of the donkey as Mary rode to Bethlehem, the book is a poem of sets of two line rhymes sharing what the donkey must have experienced that particularly special late night.

There is a tenderness conveyed between Mary and Joseph that is precious. The different perspective of the donkey along with the rhyming words keeps the kids’ attention. The illustrations are simple, inspired by the author’s own clay figures, and are quite charming.

The Manger Mouse by Sarah Martin Byrd

This book tells the story of Jesus’ birth from the perspective of a little mouse named Matty. Young and insecure about his significance in the world, with his mother’s encouragement he becomes an integral part of Jesus’ first night as a newborn on earth.

The illustrations are done with beautiful pastels and are big and bold, good for little ones listening along with the story but not able to read yet.

In addition to the basic story of Jesus’ birth, there are so many lessons that can be drawn from this short story about the importance of our gifts, no matter how “small”, how God uses the unlikely to accomplish the important, and having courage in the face of uncertainty.

Children’s Christmas Books Prize Pack GIVEAWAY!

update: this giveaway has ended

Some of my blogging friends and I have gathered together to offer a huge prize pack of children’s Christmas books. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win all 8 books plus the Advent resource, Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands.

If you win, you’ll be well on your way to building an awesome library of Christmas books for your kids to enjoy year after year.

We are all so excited to share these books with you!

LeeAnn is giving away: A Donkey’s Little Tale, The Manger Mouse, and Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands

Gennie is giving away: The Polar Express

Ashley is giving away: The Berenstain Bears – The Joy of Giving

Susana is giving away: What is Christmas?

Britta is giving away: The Adventure of Christmas – Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Tradition

Nelle is giving away: The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet

One lucky person will win them all!

To have a chance to win, enter using the rafflecopter widget below. (Click here to enter if you can’t see the widget.) Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and ends Monday, November 17th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}.

Sharing with Faith & Fellowship, Advent Ideas Linkup, The Missional Weekend, Mommy Monday, and The Mommy List.

Parenting With Purpose: Day 4 – Dear Weary Mom

October 4, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Dear weary mom,

I saw you this morning.

photo credit: demandaj via photopin cc

I saw you as you hit the snooze button again, even though you’re trying to get up earlier to spend time with me.

I saw you head to the kitchen still in your rumpled pajamas you’ve worn all week.

I saw you with your hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. Again.

I saw you as your toddler pulled on your legs and said “mommy, mommy, mommmy” over and over.

I saw you as your child dawdled around getting ready for school and you yelled at her to hurry up.

I saw you as you then were frustrated with yourself with your own impatience.

I saw you trying to do things better than you did them yesterday.

And I know you. I am your Creator and you are my masterpiece, my work of art.

I know you want to be a better mom for your kids.

I know you want to get up earlier to spend some time in my Word.

I know you want to make sure you’re guiding your children’s hearts toward me.

I know you feel inadequate in all these things, usually daily.

Today, remember the gifts I give you to encourage you on this journey called motherhood.

I give you grace in the difficult moments.

I give you new mercies every morning.

I give you friends and family for support.

I give you my Word for direction.

I give you my Spirit for comfort and guidance.

You are seen, known, and cherished.

As you parent the sweet children I have given you, live out these truths in your life.

Embrace who you are and whose you are and rise to the challenges presented to you through MY strength, not your own.

I am with you.

Love,

God